Sherman.Peabody@p0.f475.n10.z1.fidonet.org (Sherman Peabody) (05/03/91)
Index Number: 15317
[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference on Fidonet]
An echo for chronic pain! I think I found home. Let me not
mince words,--I have lymphoma and the docs don't think I have very
long to live. This is an AIDS-related lymphoma and comes at the
tail end of a three and a half year battle. The pain in my back had
been excruciating. First it was in my lower back shooting down to
my legs. I had some surgery and 11 weeks of chemotherapy. This
helped the lower back but then my upper back, right side, and chest
area right side started to hurt unbearably. I had a bone scan, a
galium scan, and a lung biopsy. Sure enough it was cancer. So
finally the doctors paid attention to my pain. I was given
MS-contin 30mg (roxanol). When that didn't cut it initially. They
put me on a CADD-PCA machine.
The PCA machine gives me a constant IV drip of 4mg morphine per
hour. There is a button on the machine that lets me zap myself with
another 2 mg per 15 minutes. This has been (thank God) providing
pain relief, though we've been having to increase my dosage. I'm
being encouraged to not take any pills and to rely on the PCA
machine.
Is anyone else on a PCA machine? Or morphine? Is my dose high
or low? How have you taken care of the side effects (extreme
constipation, loss of appetite, dizziness, waves of nausea, drifting
in and out of consciousness).
--
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Internet: Sherman.Peabody@p0.f475.n10.z1.fidonet.org